Steel Angel Kurumi: The Hearts of Angels
by Daydreaming Snide
Summary: This is my first ever fanfiction. Set several months after the end of the original show; Max's life is turned upside down when he meets the experimental Steel Angel Akio. Since then his origin has begun to reveal itself. Later chapters may be rated M.


**S.A.K. Fan-Fiction – The Hearts of Angels:** _**Preface **_

Max ran as fast as he could down the beaten track. The dirt track made a sharp turn to the right. A minute later it made another sharp turn to the left as it reached the top of the cliff-face. Max was tired but he knew he had to keep going. He couldn't let them all just go without seeing them off. It was the least he could do after how he had acted earlier and the day before. He shouldn't have done what he did, it was stupid and foolish. He regretted his recent actions deeply. He paused for a moment to catch his breath. His face was flushed and covered in beads of sweat. He looked out over the town, at the base of the mountain, as he stood there atop the cliff. He could remember everything as clear as day. How he met them, how they became allies, friends and then maybe even something more. He fought back some tears as the memories came flooding back. He couldn't let them go without seeing them one last time, without saying good-bye. Though he knew deep down that no matter what happened, he would never forget them. Their voices had been imbedded into his ears and their faces burnt into his eyes. The setting sun, which had warmed him many times before with its soft glow now scorched him in anger, its pulsating glow urging him onwards, as if it too felt that he should be there. "Wait for me. Please, oh please, wait for me," he cried out inside his head, willing for his thoughts to burst through his skull and reach their minds. He willed for his thoughts to be heard by them, to make them wait for him.

He pumped his legs and pushed his body to its limit as he raced along the cliff-head. The path wound itself around in tight hairpin turns as it climbed the cliff-face. A silent gasp escaped his mouth as he fell forward. The wound on his leg spilt blood over the trail as it tore open. Max lay there on the ground of a minute, shaking slightly as he held in his urge to cry out in pain. He groaned as he struggled to his feet, placing most of his weight onto his right leg. He was almost to the top, almost to them. He groaned in pain and anger at himself as he continued to make his way up the mountain. Blood ran down the back of his leg, staining his pants, socks and shoes. He tried to run but could only manage a limping stagger. The tears that he held back welled up in his eyes and threatened to drown them. His vision was slightly obscured by the dying sunlight. The memories were still coming back to him as he made his way up the hill, stronger now. They got clearer and clearer as he remembered more and more. He could almost recall every event that had happened since the day he met them, the day it all started. His eyes stung as if needles were poking them, trying to break through to deliver whatever deadly load they held straight into the centre of his eyes. His body wanted to scream from the strain he was putting it under but he held back the urge.

"I'm coming. Please wait for me. I'm coming!" he shouted hoarsely. His voice barely made it up to the next turn. He pressed on, going as fast as he could despite the wound on his leg. The path was steeper now. He shouted again as he came into the final stretch of path before the Lookout. He forced himself onwards. His body felt as if it was going to collapse into pieces. After all he had been through this was by far the most painful moment. He shielded his eyes from the sun as he came over the top of the path and onto the large flat rock known as 'The Lookout'. "I'm here, I'm here. Don't go yet!" he cried out to the empty area before him. He stood still, totally stunned. He was too late, they had already left. Did they go early? Where were the doctors? Where were the onymou priests? Where were the military general and his spies? No one was there. He was all alone on the small mountain that stood on the town's southern border. He dropped his head and limped over to the single tree by the fence which ran along the edge of the cliff. He slumped against it and slowly slid to the ground. A couple of tears ran down his cheeks. His bandaged arm fell limp at his side as he started to feel the effects from the loss of blood. He blinked slowly as he gazed out over the town and the lands which lay beyond. He moved closer to the fence, resting against one of the metal poles. His functional arm reached up to grasp the metal rail. It seemed that the local council still hadn't put in the clear plastic panels to prevent small children from running under the rails and over the edge. Tears were slipping down his cheeks slowly as he reminisced on the events of the past month or so. It had been so long since he met them yet now it seemed like it had only been yesterday…


End file.
